alpha privative

== English == === Pronunciation === Rhymes: -ɪvətɪv === Noun === alpha privative (plural alpha privatives) (grammar) The prefix a- (or an- when prefixing a root which begins with a vowel) found in some English words of Greek derivation. It expresses negation or absence. The prefix has cognates in other Indo-European languages, including in- in Latin and un- in English, all traceable back to Proto-Indo-European *n̥-. Synonyms: alpha privativum; privative a (grammar) Either the aforementioned privative a or the Greek ἀ- (a-) itself (from which the English descendant derives). Synonym: alpha privativum Hyponym: privative a (grammar) A word formed using such prefixes. ==== Related terms ==== ==== Translations ==== === See also === ἀ- (a-) a-